NOT THE BAYANG

Rihanna Revisited "Umbrella" Era With a Massive Side Bang

The late 2000s and early 2010s beauty trends strike again.
rihanna side bangs 2022
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Cast your mind back to 2007 for a moment. George W. Bush was still President, former American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson had just won an Oscar, and you couldn't turn on the radio without hearing "Umbrella." Perhaps Rihanna, the woman responsible for that monster track, is feeling nostalgic for the time period, seeing as she just resurrected a hairstyle that was almost as ubiquitous in the late 2000s as her song: the side bang. 

Spied on a night out in Los Angeles over the first weekend of October, Rihanna channeled her 2007 self with shoulder-length straight hair and a sweeping side fringe that fell to cover one of her expertly made-up eyes. Along with stripey highlights, high-shine lip gloss, and spray tans, the side bang was a major beauty theme in the 2000s and 2010s. Rih wore a textbook version for her Good Girl Gone Bad album artwork, and it became something of a red carpet signature for the star in the early days of her fame. 

Maybe the megastar is in a reflective mood as she prepares to tick off yet another career milestone: last week it was confirmed that Rihanna will headline the Super Bowl halftime show in 2023. With one of the most high-profile and prestigious gigs in pop, she will follow in the footsteps of Madonna, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Jennifer Lopez, who made her barnstorming performance a comment on Donald Trump's immigration policies. 

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The Rihanna fandom is also hoping it's an indication of new music to come from the star, who has been so busy building her Fenty empire, tearing up the front row at fashion week, and starting a family, that she hasn't released an album in six years. 

Rihanna and her side fringe at the 2007 Grammy Awards. 

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This story originally appeared on vogue.co.uk. 


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